MANSFIELD – Laura Lawson and Rachael Sterner each hit two-run homers to lead Mansfield softball to a PSAC Central sweep of Pitt-Johnstown in the home opener at Helen Lutes Field on Sunday.
 
Lawson wasted no time putting the Mountaineers on the board in game one, driving two-run homer deep to left field in the bottom of the first. Sterner doubled before scoring on a Taylor Chidester single in the gap. Leah McGovern took advantage of a bases-loaded situation with a single down the left field line two score two more runs for Mansfield (12-7, 2-2 PSAC Central). Kayla Hahn, McGovern and Deshae Jones all scored to make it an early 8-0 lead.

Mansfield plated two more runs in the third with Sterner and Anastasia Hester recording RBIs.
 
Pitt-Johnstown (9-9, 1-3 PSAC Central) pushed across its only run of the game in the top of the fourth.
 
In the bottom the inning, Hahn's RBI double placed perfectly down the line drove in another run to bring the Mansfield lead back up to 10 runs.
 
UPJ put a runner in scoring position in the fourth but could not avoid the mercy rule.
 
Mansfield starting pitcher Arianna Young did not allow a base runner through the first two innings and gave up just three hits and one walk in the complete game victory. Young struck out four batters to improve to 8-3 on the season.
 
Melissa Wagner took the loss pitching just one third of an inning.
 
In game two, Sterner took a page out of Lawson's book by giving Mansfield a 2-0 lead in the first inning with a two-run no-doubter over the left field fence. Sterner and Lawson currently lead the Mountaineers in home runs this season with three each.
 
In the third inning, Hahn drove in Hester and Melanie Taylor with a single to right center to double the Mountaineer's score.
 
UPJ scored a run in the top of the sixth and seventh innings, but Mansfield held on for the sweep.
 
Sierra Storm won her third game of the season in the circle, scattering six hits over six innings with a pair of strikeouts. Connor Decker came on in the seventh to end the threat and earn her first save.
 
The two central division wins move Mansfield even in conference play at 2-2.
 
Mansfield continues its eight-game home stand with PSAC Central doubleheaders at Lutes Field on Friday and Saturday.